Suburban Chicago woman charged with making threat toward elementary school
DES PLAINES, Ill. (CBS) — A woman was charged accused of threatening to "shoot up" an elementary school in a social media post back in September.
Esmeralda E. Vargas, 18, of Des Plaines, was charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct.
The Des Plaines Police Department investigated threats made against North Elementary School, located in the 1700 block of Rand Road.
On Sept. 9, school officials received an anonymous tip via the SS-ARS Crisis Center—an organization that receives tips about possible school shootings—identifying a Tik-Tok post by a user, later identified as Vargas, allegedly stating that the Uvalde school shooter was their "idol" and threatened to "shoot up" the elementary school. The School District Administration, along with the Des Plaines Police Department, immediately engaged in crisis response protocol.
Investigators contacted TikTok to obtain subscriber information and determined the IP address's location in the 1400 block of East Willow Avenue. With the cooperation of Vargas' parents, investigators searched the residence for firearms, but none were found. She was also banned from any District 62 property.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for details of the original post and submitted it to TikTok. On Dec. 6, investigators received the search warrant's results, which provided detailed information about a conversation Vargas had with an unknown TikTok user threatening the school she once attended, according to authorities.
Vargas turned herself in to Des Plaines police on Dec. 30. She was charged, cited, and released in accordance with state law.
No further information was available.
